1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a grass treatment insert and a grass treatment unit with an adjustable hood for use on a mowing machine.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Several manufacturers offer grass treatment units which are designed to fit existing greensmowers as replacements for the grass cutting units. Inserts for use in the grass treatment units are provided to accomplish various greens grooming practices, including vibratory and non-vibratory rolling, verticutting, scarifying, grooming, spiking, slitting, slicing, brushing and the like.
Typically the grass treatment unit has a frame with sidewalls and is mounted on front and rear rollers. The grass treatment insert is mounted in the frame to rotate about an axis which extends generally parallel to the ground surface over which the grass treatment unit is moved and perpendicular to the direction of travel. Rotation of the grass treatment insert is driven in the direction of travel by a hydraulic motor or the like which is powered off the greensmower.
A force is applied to grass clippings or other material produced during the grass treatment operation through contact with the rotating grass treatment insert or due to a wind force generated by the rotating insert. A hood is positioned behind and upwardly and forwardly of the grass treatment insert to direct the material into a clippings basket which is provided at the front of the grass treatment unit. Ambient air is drawn into the space between the grass treatment insert and the hood from under the sidewalls and through any vent holes which may be provided. The geometry of the space between the grass treatment insert and the hood affects the kinetic energy applied to the material.
Different grass treatment inserts have different diameters. For example, a scarifier typically has a larger diameter than a verticutter. Some manufacturers of grass treatment units provide a fixed placement for the hood, thereby achieving less than ideal discharge with inserts for different practices. Other manufacturers provide the grass treatment insert and hood as a combined part but this complicates installation which requires tools and materially increases the cost to a user whose practice requires different inserts.